


The Case of the Oblivious Hunters

by sherlock221Bismymuse



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Happy Ending, It's For a Case, M/M, Shmoop, Wincest - Freeform, outsider pov, very mild angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:07:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29599443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlock221Bismymuse/pseuds/sherlock221Bismymuse
Summary: Donna sees some photos of Sam and Dean and comes to some conclusions. Jody is initially skeptical.
Relationships: Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester
Comments: 22
Kudos: 126





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I read some posts on Tumblr recently about how the most adorable stories are when both characters think it's unrequited but it totally isn't and they are just being idiots. Then I read a post explaining how to write a 'fake relationship turns real' story. I love outsider POV stories also. So I thought I would try my hand at all three at once :)  
> Hope you enjoy it! Do comment if you like it !!

“I TOLDJA!” Donna trilled on the phone with barely repressed glee. “Thmtgthrmtgthnmm!!!”

“Donna…” Jody sighed, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulders as she unlocked the car, sat in and closed the door behind her. “Please finish eating the doughnut so that I can understand what you are saying.”

She could hear Donna gulping and giggling. “Jody…..I toldja they were together- together!”

“Who?” Jody said with a frown, even as she pulled on the seat belt and started the car.

“Them. The BOYS.”

Jody rolled her eyes. Donna got so excitable sometimes over the silliest of things. “Which boys?”

Donna giggled. “Sam and Dean of course.”

Jody’s eyebrows shot up. “Sam and Dean. As in Sam and Dean Winchester?! Are together-together?!”

“Mmhmm.” Donna said as she took one more large bite of her doughnut.

“How do you know?” Jody asked, more in interrogation than disbelief. She had always felt there was something more. _How much more_ she didn’t speculate. And she knew that even if there was something ‘much more’ they would never come out and say it or even show it…because….well for obvious reasons……but also because despite their forced public persona they were very intensely private and privately intense individuals.

She broke off from her own stream of consciousness to hear Donna squealing something on the phone.

“What?”

“I sent you a photo!” Donna said. “Take a look!”

Jody looked at her phone to see a photo of Dean and Sam holding hands, fingers intertwined and Dean leaning in with a happy grin, about to kiss Sam. Sam was blushing.

“Wow.” Jody said, with a strange fluttery feeling in her stomach at this sight.

“Unh hun. That’s what I said too!” Donna laughed. “Wow!! Don’t they look ADORABLE?”

“How did you get this?” Jody asked, Sheriff instincts kicking in. “Is it real?”

“Oh you BETCHA!” Donna said firmly. “That woman they saved from the werewolf last summer? She was on holiday at this other town last week and she saw them and took a photo and sent it to me. With lots of heart emojis and saying _I knew it! Those agents were together-together_!”

Jody was frowning again. _It was not like the Winchesters to allow themselves to be photographed like this unless they wanted it to happen……..which meant….oh dear, how foolish of her to get so excited by this possibility that she missed the obvious!_

“Donna!” She exclaimed, slapping her forehead. “They are obviously on a case!”

“No! No Jody, look at them!” Donna urged. “LOOK at their eyes and faces. They can’t be such good actors. Look!”

So Jody looked and then she told Donna she HAD to get to work and that they would chat later.

.

.

By the time she got home after a busy and long day, there were four more photos of the ‘boys’ waiting on her phone. She saw that in most of them they were standing so close to each other that not one molecule of air could have passed between them.

One photo showed Dean’s arm slipped around Sam’s waist, very possessive and protective while Sam looked smug as hell.

One was with Dean’s hand on Sam’s heart and Sam looking as coy as a virgin bride.

And then there was the last one which took her breath away.

They were standing apart in this one and seemed to be in some clothes shop. But the camera had caught Sam looking at Dean while Dean wasn’t looking. 

_That look on Sam’s face?_ That was for real.

She knew then that they may be doing this pretend couple act for a case but the feelings were real.

At least they were for Sam.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jody and Donna ask questions and Sam is a bad liar

As luck would have it, just a week later Jody needed to call them over for a case and when the vampire nest was finally dealt with she insisted on inviting them over to her cabin for the weekend.

“We could all do with some rest!” she said, exhausted and still filthy from the hunt.

Dean put away his machete and looked at Sam and when Sam nodded Dean agreed.

Jody smiled to herself at the way Dean was so obvious in his love and affection for Sam in so many ways…always putting him and his needs first…… but _was there anything more? Could there be?_

She knew only too well that life was uncertain and love was not easy to find. If anyone deserved that kind of unconditional and forever love, it was these two. She wanted to find some way to help that would not offend either of them or make her lose their friendship. But she couldn’t do it alone, so of course she invited Donna over to the cabin too.

The Winchesters were delighted to meet her that evening and over an early dinner they all swapped stories and consumed many bottles of chilled beer and had a great time in general.

Then Dean stepped out to get their things in from the car and as soon as the door closed behind him Jody smoothly asked Sam with a half-smile “So Sam, how are things?”

Sam looked at her and nodded. “Things are good Jody, thanks.”

“Mmhmm.” Donna said with a chuckle.

Sam looked at her in confusion.

“Someone saw you with someone.” Jody explained, trying hard but unable to keep a grin off her face.

"You betcha!!” Donna said. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G”

And she whipped out her phone and showed him that first photo.

Jody had no idea that Sam was capable of such a rosy red blush.

“Uh..that…” Sam stammered. “It was for a case.”

“Sure, sure it was.” Donna said soothingly and winked at him. “Your secret is safe with us.”

Just as Sam was about to protest again, Dean came back in with their bags on his shoulders and a smile on his face as he took in the sight of three of his favourite people looking well fed and happy.

As Sam scrambled up to help Dean he gave Jody and Donna such a desperate begging look that they zipped their lips and didn’t say anything further.

But later that night when he had gone to get some water Jody cornered Sam in the kitchen and gave him a questioning look.

Sam looked back at her, trying to be bold but she could see the fear and misery hiding in his eyes.

“Sam…..I am sorry.” Jody said quietly. “We didn’t mean to upset you earlier. What you and Dean have..…it’s special.”

“I know.” Sam said at once. “Of course I know….”

“But…?” Jody prompted.

“But it’s not like _that_ for us.” Sam replied softly.

“Not like that for _him_ maybe.” Jody countered gently. “But you…?”

Sam shook his head and looked away. “How can you be ok with this Jody?! I can’t…… I can’t even allow myself to _think_ it. You don’t know….. I …..it would break me if he found out and rejected me. If he hated me for feeling it. If he finally thought that I was a monster for real.” Sam said, almost choked with sudden tears. “He is my entire world Jody. I can’t do this without him. Believe me I have tried. So please….don’t even tease him or hint at it. Please?”

Jody nodded and gave him a hug, holding him till he stopped trembling.

He stepped back when she let go and said to her despairingly. “You have no idea how difficult it was to pretend to be a couple all week and not be able to mean it.”

Jody watched him leave the kitchen and go to the bedroom he was sharing with Dean, convinced that he was wrong about his brother’s feelings. She was sure that Dean may not realize or even accept it because that’s just the way he was, but deep down in some corner of his heart he harboured similar feelings for Sam.

So she took a bottle of water and went to the bedroom she was sharing with Donna, her head buzzing with ideas.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Donna's turn to bell the cat this time

The next day somehow they all woke up early, despite wanting to sleep in and after much groaning and complaining Dean had many cups of strong coffee and then even made eggs for everyone.

Breakfast was a boisterous affair with Dean and Donna apparently competing to tell the most bawdy and ridiculous jokes and having the loudest laugh while Sam and Jody just sat there and ate with indulgent smiles watching these two enjoy themselves and sharing exasperated eyerolls once in a while.

Once the breakfast things were cleared away Donna insisted on taking Dean fly- fishing to a stream nearby. Dean agreed right away and then promptly tried to persuade Sam to join them.

When Sam said he was not interested and absolutely refused to go Dean looked hesitant, as though unwilling to leave Sam alone.

Jody and Donna exchanged looks and then Jody told Dean in her very wry matter- of- fact way. “Dean……you do know that he is not going to disappear if you go out and have fun without him, right? You _are_ allowed to spend time away from him.”

Sam looked up in a panic at that and saw Dean frowning, about to say something, so he managed to give a forced laugh. “Yeah Dean, go. Seriously! I have a couple of books I have been wanting to read. You should go. Have fun. Go!”

As the door closed behind Dean and Donna, Jody turned to look at Sam with a very significant look and raised eyebrows and was greeted with another rosy blush.

 _It was just too adorable_ she decided. And if she hadn’t just the earlier day seen Sam swinging his blade and fiercely beheading vampires right and left, she would have totally liked to imagine him as the coy Princess to Dean’s swashbuckling Knight.

 _Nah._ She thought to herself. _This time she and Donna were the swashbuckling Knights and these two idiots were the simpering Princesses. It was time to get Sam’s head in the game. She probably had a couple of hours before those two clowns came back._

.

.

“So, Dean.” Donna said once they were comfortably perched on a large rock and the fishing rods were angled just right and her bag of doughnuts was happily placed right next to her.

“Yeah?” Dean replied in a mildly distracted way, still fiddling with the rod.

“You and Sam? That’s something special huh?”

Dean turned to look at her and gave a small fond smile. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

“But..?” She prompted, praying to all the gods that Jody was right and that Dean wasn’t going to kill her for asking this.

Dean looked at her with a confused frown. “What do you mean?”

“I mean how come there isn’t there anyone else ‘special’ in either of your lives? Look at you! Both of you! Handsome, charming, brilliant. Not to mention tough badasses with hearts of gold. Why aren’t you with someone??”

Dean sighed. “It’s difficult in this life Donna. I had no choice. I grew up in it. This is all I know. Sammy tried to get out of it. I brought him back. I regret it every single day. But ….I couldn’t do it without him. I know he hates me for that. He will never say it but I know that deep down he does. He could have had a normal life. A happy life. With someone he loved.”

Donna looked at him and asked softly. “Have you ever asked him if that is what he wants?”

Dean shrugged. “What is there to ask? And what would I do with his answer? I know what he would want. I know what he _should_ want.” He looked at Donna with such open misery that she almost ( _almost!_ ) reached out and gave him a hug.

“I am a terrible person Donna.” Dean continued thoughtfully. “Every day when I wake up and look at him I am grateful that he is still there with me. Knowing that someday he may be gone. _Should_ be gone. Leaving me behind when he gets his normal life. Picket fence, wife, kids, dogs. The works. I would not blame him if he did………..not at all. I suppose I could even try to be happy for him…..I just don’t know how I would carry on after that though….…..without him.”

They sat in pensive silence for a while.

Donna chewed her lip, desperately wishing Jody were here to handle this more sensitively. Well, she wasn’t here. Tough luck! So it was up to her to step up and deal with it.

She let go of that damn fly- fishing rod and took a deep breath, fished out her phone from her pocket, opened to that first photo and passed it on to Dean.

He leaned over and saw it and gave her a sharp look. “This was for a case Donna.”

“Yeah, yeah sure it was.” Donna said casually. “I figured as much. You two do a great job with all the fake identities. Such awesome acting as a pretend couple!”

Dean looked away and scowled. When Donna didn’t say anything further and just pulled out a doughnut and started to eat it, the silence got heavy around them. So, finally, he spoke up again, voice gruff with irritation.

“What do you want to hear from me? That it wasn’t acting for me? Well….ok , yes, it wasn’t. But I…..I can’t Donna. I just can’t. Not for the legal and moral reasons…… I know you might not haul me off for incest…and I have already been to Hell and back so that’s no fear for me either. But I can’t because…he is so _precious_ to me Donna. He thinks he was tainted by demon blood. And he was. By Azazel and also by Ruby………but despite that he is so _pure._ So _good_. So… _perfect_. I could not possibly put him in a situation where he feels disgusted by me. I can’t. I just…can’t. I have promised to protect him all my life, with my life. And that includes protecting him from me.”

Donna just stared at him open mouthed. “Wow. That’s quite a speech Dean. I get it. You love him. Not just as a brother.”

Then she showed him the other photo. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe he loves you back that way too?”

Dean stared at that last photo and sighed and shook his head. “No Donna. That’s not possible. He was just acting for the audience.”

“Sure. Maybe.” Donna said with a half shrug as she pocketed her phone. “But….what if he does? Then wouldn’t you want to know? Wouldn’t you want to be a couple in real life? Hold hands like that? Kiss him for real??”

Donna had never thought Dean could blush such a beetroot red.

She saw his face and chortled and went “Awww!!”

So of course Dean had to splash her with water and then of course she retaliated and eventually they ended up returning home to an eyeroll from Jody as they entered the cabin dripping wet, laughing hysterically and with absolutely not a single fish to show for their entire afternoon’s work.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean may never be able to look Jody and Donna in the eye again...but he can live with that :)

Sam was busy in the kitchen with Jody, preparing dinner so Dean just popped his head in to flick some water at him and yell _Honey I’m home_ ……which got him a classic bitchface from Sam and a punch in the arm from Donna.

Dean chuckled and then went straight into the bathroom.

He came out from his hot shower hungry and jittery.

He could not forget what Donna had showed him and what she had said.

_But…but could it possibly be? Could life give him what he wanted so badly? Or would it all end in tears? Yeah, that sounded about right. He had never been given something to love without having it cruelly and brutally snatched from him._

He remembered Mom, Bobby, Charlie, Jo, Ellen…a relentless rollcall of those he had loved and lost.

_No, he simply could not take a risk with Sam._

_No matter what Donna felt_ ….. and with a groan he realized _what even Jody probably believed_ but nope…… _. No matter what they felt…he could not…would not…._

He came out of this mind cloud to the smell of coffee and…was that a pie on the table?!

_An honest to goodness apple pie slice?_

Never one to question food being offered, Dean wolfed it down and was happily rubbing his stomach with pleasure as he stood up to take the plates back to the kitchen when the door opened.

He turned and smiled when he saw who it was.

“Hey Sammy.”

Sam came into the room closed the door behind him. He came further in and suddenly Sam was up close and right in his space.

Dean was startled and almost stumbled back. “Sam…?”

Sam just leaned in and kissed Dean on the lips. Softly. But firmly. No mistaking it for what it meant.

Then he took a step back to look at Dean who was just staring at him, stunned and almost terrified.

Sam reached out again, very slowly and very gently held Dean’s face in his hands, feeling a tremor running through Dean.

“It’s not just for the case Dean.” Sam said softly. “It never was.”

Dean blinked as he absorbed the words.

"Sammy....I can't..." He said in a strangled voice, attempting to push Sam away. " We can't..."

"Do you not want to?" Sam asked him quietly, letting his hands fall by his side, an unbearable sadness seeping through him.

"No...hey, Sam...I do" Dean said, grabbing his hands and holding them. "But since when has life ever been about getting what we want without everything going wrong?"

Sam nodded. " Ok" he said slowly. "But I would rather have you for even one hour and have everything go wrong than never have you ....because that would be even more wrong Dean."

Dean just stared at him, clearly grappling with making some new argument when Sam gave him a soft smile.

"I love you Dean. I am in love with you. But if this is what you want, we'll do it your way." 

Dean tried once again. "Sam...you can find someone better, someone who can give you a normal life...kids, a home."

"You are my home Dean." Sam replied. "And do you really think anyone can love me more or better than you do?"

And then Sam unleashed his most powerful weapon. He hung his head and looked up at Dean through his eyelashes, lips pouting just enough and infinite pleading in his eyes.

Dean crumbled. No one could ever be immune to the puppy eyes. He groaned." Not fair Sammy."

The dimpled smile broke out " All's fair in love and war Dean."

So Dean grabbed Sam by the waist and pulled him close and when their lips touched again and their tongues curled around each other hot and heavy, Sam knew for sure.

He knew that they would never have to be a pretend couple again.

.

.

They were lost in blissful worshipping and making love to the one person they had always loved more than the entire world.

“Say you’re mine.” Sam demanded sometime later, leg thrown over Dean’s thighs and hand on his heart.

“Always have been sweetheart.” Dean murmured back as he kissed every inch of his beautiful and magnificent lover’s face.

Sam melted into him at the words. “Dean…….Do you know how close I came to breaking cover that week? You were being ridiculously sweet to me and so…..so loving ….well….it was just so difficult to respond in pretense.”

Dean looked at him and smiled, raising his eyebrows. “Last week?! Do you know how difficult it has been for me to hide this and NOT be ridiculously sweet to you for all these YEARS? Not give you the sun moon and stars? Not worship the ground you walk on?”

Sam felt as though he couldn’t breathe. He pulled himself closer to Dean, closer than he thought was ever possible, breathing him in, wishing he could just dissolve into Dean……….the insane love he felt for this man threatening to explode his ribcage and make his heart dance on the streets, shouting out to the skies that he loves me and I love him back!

Dean grinned because apparently he had said that aloud. “Before you start shouting, don’t forget that Jody and Donna are outside!”

Sam groaned.

Dinner was probably waiting for them by now but by mutual agreement they decided not to leave the bedroom till very early next morning when they would simply sneak out and escape.

No way did they want to face Jody and Donna after this. Dean was convinced he would absolutely DIE of embarrassment.

He told Sam. “Send them a box of chocolates later if you want. Hell…. send them a whole barrel of chocolates but NO WAY can I look them in the eye after this!”

Sam agreed. And besides, the way Dean had been looking at him as though he wanted to eat him up and do all kinds of fabulous and wonderful things to him, that Sam saw no reason to leave the bedroom at all.

.

.

When neither Jody nor Donna ever came knocking to call them for dinner they didn’t know if that was worse than going out because those two obviously KNEW what was happening inside and Dean was alternating between groaning with pleasure at what Sam was doing to him and groaning with the agony of embarrassment when he thought of Jody and Donna.

Between various activities and tensions, neither of them slept a wink and finally decided to leave the cabin at 4 am.

They snuck out of the window and quietly tiptoed to reach the Impala only to find a sheet of paper stuck on the hood. It was note signed by Jody.

_[Stay._

_Donna and I were exhausted after solving the Case of the Oblivious Hunters and have gone back into town for some rest and relaxation!_

_The cabin is yours for as long as you want it._

_Jody]_

There was a lipstick kiss at the bottom of the note which was definitely Donna’s.

Dean looked at the note and shook his head. “Dude, these two ladies…..they terrify me more than any monsters.”

Sam just leaned in and kissed Dean in response, slipping his fingers under Dean’s shirt, simply unable to keep his hands off him now that he knew they were alone here and also …well ……just because now he could.

“So..” He mumbled against Dean’s lips. “Are you going to come back in and have your wicked ways with me?”

“Oh Sammy!” Dean kissed him back and waggled his eyebrows. “You BETCHA!”


End file.
